conclave to elect the successor to pope benedict, but will now not be going to rome. our religious correspondent has the details. >> for a decade and more, he has been one of scotland's biggest personalities and strongest voices. then came allegations that cardinal o'brien behaved inappropriately towards four priests in his care during the 1980's. suddenly, he is out of office. today, cardinal o'brien stayed behind closed doors. in a statement, he acknowledged his poor health, but made no attempt to rebut the allegations against him. instead he said, for any good i have been able to do, i thank god. for any failures, i apologize to him all whom i have asked to all whom i have -- i apologize to all whom i have offended. a few days ago, he was the catholic church's elder statesmen, due to fly to rome to help choose the new pope -- statesman, due to fly to rome to

help choose the new pope. >> the holy father excepted on february 18, the resignation .rom the cardinal >> the first minister said he had heard the news of cardinal o'brien's resignation with great sadness. >> allegations have to be properly investigated. i don't think they have the right circumstances. it overshadows almost 50 years as a priest. all the substantial work he has done for his church and country. >> the claims against cardinal o'brien were clearly intended to coincide with his imminent retirement. his accusers evidently decided to publicize them after the pope's resignation to stop the cardinal taking part in the election. >> once it becomes public knowledge, it puts immense pressure on the church. obviously, there are already

discussions going on about the pope's resignation and what is going to happen next. more than a distraction, i think it could cast a shadow over his participation in the conclave. >> although cardinal o'brien took the decision to step down himself, it was pressure from , evidently concerned about the nature of the allegations, that was decisive in making the decision. >> once cardinal o'brien was made aware of the level of concern in rome about the situation here in scotland, he felt he had no option but to ender his resignation. > too many catholics, he embodied the church in scotland -- to many catholics, he embodied the church in scotland. many are pained at his rapid departure. >> for more on the vatican's reaction, i spoke to the bbc's alan little just a short while

ago. there are other cardinals who will be attending the conclave who have been accused of sheltering priests, but the vatican has responded very differently to the case of cardinal o'brien. why? >> it is striking how quickly they have moved, accepting the resignation before the allegations have been properly aired, certainly before he has been able to respond to them or defend himself against them if that is what he chooses. the other cardinals -- cardinal whose reputation -- the other cardinals whose reputations have been tarnished are accused of covering up the crimes of -- the misdemeanors of others. cardinal o'brien is accused of covering up his own behavior. it is clear the vatican did not want a cardinal carrying those allegations into the sistine chapel in 10 days or 12 days and into the heart of the process to elect a new pope, so they moved very quickly indeed.

>> do they -- do you think they move quickly enough -- moved quickly enough for this issue not to be a focus of the conclave? >> it is bound to be the focus of the conclave. time has beens besieged by scandal after scandal. the church has tried to paint these scandals as somehow the work of the enemies of the church. another difference with the case of cardinal o'brien is that the allegations are coming from inside the church, from priests, and in one case of former priest inside his own archdiocese. it is possible for the church in rome -- impossible for the church in rome to say it is all got up by anti-catholic bodies. it is a different kind than the other scandals that have rocked and vexed the pontiff.

>> britain's x -- catholics will be without a representative in that conclave. >> he is not a cardinal. he is a young man. he has only been in that job for a few years. cardinal keith o'brien was the only one from great britain who was under the age of 80 and therefore eligible to take part. there will be no british voice in the sistine chapel when those ballots are cast. >> thank you. it is not only religious uncertainty that is vexing italy at this moment. the outcome of the weekend's elections in italy was felt in wall street -- on wall street. the dow fell 200 points. financial markets feared that political paralysis in the country will destabilize the entire euro zone. there are no clear winners from the pole. the protest party of former comedian beppe grillo appears to have secured at least one/ four -- 1/4 of the vote. avin hewitt reports.

>> this man, on his way to vote today, has caused a political earthquake in italy. that they grillo is a comedian who has raged against italy -- beppe grillo is a comedian who has raged against italy's establishment. one in four italians have voted for his protest movement. his strong showing is leading to huge uncertainty as to who will form the next government. initially, as the boats started to be counted, it seemed that the centerleft ass as the vote as the votes started to be - counted, it seemed that the centerleft was the majority. , however, that silvio berlusconi and his allies had had done well in key regions in the north. another later, official said the situation was very serious.

the country was heading for political deadlock. it may well be that here at the chamber of deputies, the lower house, that the centerleft is the dominant party. just down the road at the senate, silvio berlusconi and his allies are performing strongly. it is always a question as to whether there can really be a credible and stable government. the most likely outcome is a hung parliament. support for serbia berlusconi -- silvio berlusconi held up well. he retains influence. or centerleft candidate, luigi bersani, is likely to try and form a coalition -- pier luigi bersani, is likely to try and form a coalition. officials are preferred -- predicting that italy will have to go to the polls again. >> if you don't have the numbers to govern, the most likely scenario is another election shortly. >> the big losers in all this,

brussels and berlin. voters in large numbers rejected austerity and painful reforms. >> i think they will wring their hands and tear their hair out. all these reforms which italy has gone through will probably go up in smoke. certainly, the markets will be very unhappy and the european institutions will be very unhappy. >> but this election and, in particular, comedian beppe grillo have sent a message to europe's leaders, a candidate from nowhere tapped into a country's rage against austerity. >> a quick look at some other news from around the world. the swedish retailer ikea has withdrawn meatballs for sale from 21 european countries after tests on a batch in the czech republic showed traces of horsemeat. ikea said its own checks have not revealed any contamination, but it will take further investigations. et has been accused of putting

profits before safety on the has beenep -- bp accused of putting profits before safety on the first day of the trial. they are battling to determine how much each company will pay in compensation. bp has already agreed to a $4 million settlement for manslaughter and other criminal charges. there has been another large explosion in the syrian capital of damascus today, the second in a week. it suggests the fighting is getting closer to present assad 's seat of power -- president assad's seat of power. 60,000 have died. 4 million syrians are now refugees in their own country. tonight, we look at the plight of the most floral herbal -- the most vulnerable, the children. we have this report. >> high on a cliff face in a beautiful valley, two small children lead the way to their new home. they were forced to run away from their village when it was attacked by government forces.

so, this is now where they live -- in a cave. .t is cold, dirty, and damp they have been living like this for weeks, unable to escape across the border, too afraid to return home. the days are spent gathering water and wood and just trying to keep warm. >> the hardest thing is getting water up here for drinking, cooking, and washing. life is so hard, but we have to deal with it. the world has forgotten about us. there is not a home. have beens of syrians driven from their homes by the war. many have fled across borders to safety. but most are trapped, refugees in their own country. the world has pledged millions of pounds in foreign aid. no one we have met had received any of it. and in a conflict where rockets

are fired at will, they are never really safe. if you want to know what that feels like, watch the girls' reaction as the area is suddenly attacked. where will the shells land? when will they stop? syria's children know these questions well. going to like we are die. my sisters and i get ready. we hide. it has been a year since we left home. we have to ask people for lots of things. we have to keep moving. we don't have money. we don't have anything. >> the country is locked in a savage civil war, and it is civilians who have suffered the most as conditions steadily grow worse. some people are so desperate they have actually been forced to make their homes in underground tunnels like this, using matching on the floor, a

bit of betting, even pillows -- mat matting on the floroor for t of bedding, even pillows. his is where people came to live in hide -- this is where people came to live and hide. the atmosphere here is appalling. it is dark and dank and suffocating. we were taken to see another tunnel. an old roman burial chamber. were seven small boys -- there were seven small boys in hiding. their father had been killed in the height -- the fighting. their mother had gone looking for food. but that was hours ago. the boys were still waiting, cold, hungry, and scared. .> it is bad here we are afraid of the bombing and shelling. that is why we are staying here . >> boys asked when their mom would be coming back -- the boys

asked when their mom would be coming back. it was impossible to answer. as we left, they were staring at the entrance, waiting. it is a conflict the world has failed to stop. victims who go unprotected. a country whose very existence is now in doubt. province.n idlib >> young faces of syria's war. the new u.s. secretary of state, john kerry, said the obama administration was looking at more steps to fulfill america's obligations to those innocent people in syria, but it is the threat here at home which also has the white house concerned. a series of automatic spending cuts known as sequestration will take effect at the end of the week if a deal is not reached in congress. it is the latest round of political brinksmanship in washington. secretary kerry warns that is the biggest threat to american

power abroad. i spoke to the head of the council of foreign relations. he joined me from new york. what does the secretary mean when he says that it is congress that is the biggest threat to american power abroad at the moment? >> it has the advantage of being true. unless the united states economy begins to grow, now growing at about 60% of our historic rate, less than 2% as opposed to 3%, we have unpredictablility. chances of growth are going to go down even further if kundera -- government spending is cut through sequestration. all these things add up. the politics of the united ownes -- we have our domestic politicians who are increasingly getting in the way of an economic recovery. >> to the practical impact that these automatic edge cuts might

-- is it a practical impact that these automatic budget cuts might have, or is it more the perception that countries might have of america's govern ability or perhaps lack of government governa -- america's bility or perhaps lack of governability? >> pentagon is talking about having less aircraft carrier presence. the foreign-policy establishment could see some of its dollars cut. foreign aid is never the favorite thing of the congress. some of those accounts could be pressured. a lot of these cuts ordered by sequestration are essentially dumb. they are acrsooss the board. certain things are exempt. ibo who run these cabinet departments often lack the authority just -- people who run these cabinet departments often lack the authority did say we are going -- authority to

say we are going to keep this or that. us toes it hard for represent ourselves as a model that ought to be in related by others -- to be emulated by others. >> what do you hear when you talk to leaders around the world, not just about sequestration -- what are people saying to you? .> all those things america's inability to tackle its deficit and debt. able shake their heads. at the end of the day, -- people shake their heads. because at the end of the day, they are dependent on the united states. the united states controls the reserve currency, the dollar. a lot of these countries need to export to the united states. our appetite for their goods is obviously dependent in large part on how fast we are growing. it is a very different american

market if we are growing at 1.5% or 3.5%. they are extraordinarily worried by what they see going on or not going on here. also, it gives them a sense of frustration that they are vulnerable to what is happening here but they do not get a vote. a certain feeling of vulnerability or helplessness. >> thanks for joining the program. >> thanks for having me. gimmick you are watching "bbc world news america -- >> you are watching "bbc world news america." today, the lucky few are -- clutching their oscars. a new round of nuclear talks get therway between iran and u.s., uk, russia, china, france, and germany. american officials are attending the talks in context on -- inc. akhstan.nded -- in kaz

talks likean wants this to put it on the world stage. it wants to be seen as having a lead role, especially when it comes to the control of nuclear weapons. after the collapse of the soviet gave up itshstan nuclear weapons. it wants to play the role of honest broker. it will be hard to make progress. in recent years, there have been several rounds of negotiations. little progress was made. each side comes to the table with strong demands. this group wants more access to nuclear sites for inspection. to uraniumran enrichment at five -- 5%. it is currently up to 20%.

they want it to limit stockpiles of enriched uranium. iran wants the west to recognize its right of enrichment and to start to dithch the sanctions. the talks are sure to be difficult. the international community says it is bringing offers which are serious and substantial. upcoming elections to worry about. these negotiations are likely to be more of a marathon, not a sprint, but they hope that they are going in the right direction. >> tonight, an urgent operation is underway to rescue the veteran british explorer who is stuck in antarctica with severe frostbite. the adventurer, who is 68, was part of a team trying to walk across the continent in winter,

something that has never been done before, but he has had to abandon the journey after what is thought to be a skiing accident at base camp. inm the adventures antarctica to hollywood. the movie world was all about the oscars. best actor honors went to daniel day-lewis for his portrayal of abraham lincoln, a victory which puts him in the record books. we have more from the star- studded night. >> it was music, music, music for this year's show, with some of the stars showing off their fancy footwork, but the night belonged to daniel day-lewis. he made academy history, becoming the first man ever to win a third best actor oscar. >> my fellow nominees, my equals, my betters, i am so proud to have been his -- been included as one amongst you.

>> he made fun of how deeply he throws himself into his roles. >> my wife has been in bed with some very strange man. -- men. ♪ ♪ ♪ sky falls >> sadele gave a stirring performance of "skyfall." she won the oscar for best original song, the first time a n oscar.me has won a it was a short, but emotional thank you. >> oh, god. thank you for believing me all the time. and my man. i love you, baby. >> jennifer lawrence won the oscar for best actress, but stumbled when she was accepting the award. she took it all in stride.

angl lee won tester after four life of pi, -- won best director for "life of pi." and there was a surprise guest who made the announcement for best picture, live from the white house. >> "argo." >> and affleck was not nominated for director, but this was -- this was enough for him. after the show, the parties went on well into the night. everyone was talking about daniel day-lewis. >> is fantastic. -- just fantastic. >> i was happy for him. he is a very dignified gentleman. >> a record-setting night and some very happy new owners of little, gold statuettes. redore backslapping and carpets or acceptance speeches for another year.

there was no one runway winner, just lots of good films and filmmakers. bbc news, los angeles. >> daniel day-lewis, a man who does not make very many films, but when he does, he seems to make the best ones, getting another oscar as best actor. that brings the show to a close. for all our updates from around the world, on our 24-hour news network, check your listings. thanks for watching "bbc world news america." >> funding of this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu. newman's own foundation. fidelity investments. union bank.and zte.

>> bringing you closer. zte. >> your personal economy is made up of the things that matter most, including your career. and as those things change, fidelity can help you readjust your retirement plan, rethink how you are invested, and refocus as your career moves forward. wherever you are today, a fidelity ira has a wide range of investment choices that can fit your personal economy. fidelity investments, turn here. >> "bbc world news" was presented by kcet los angeles.

- hi, neighbour! today we're going to visit my school for the very first time! and then we're going to my doctor's office to see dr. anna. will you come with me? ok, let's go! is made possible in part by... the richard king mellon foundation. dedicated for over sixty years to south western pennsylvania's quality of life, and competitive future. and by these pittsburg foundations. working together to enhance and enrich the lives of children for more than seventy-five years. and by the arthur vining davis foundations. dedicated to strengthening america's future

through education. adcasting, dedicated to strengthening america's future and contributions to your pbs station, from viewers like you. n the neighbourhood ♪ and contributions to your pbs station, ♪ a beautiful day for a neighbour ♪ ♪ would you be mine? ♪ could you be mine? ♪ won't you be my neighbour? - ♪ it's daniel tiger's neighborhood ♪ ♪ a land of make-believe ♪ won't you ride along with me? ♪ - ♪ ride along - ♪ it's daniel tiger's neighborhood ♪ ♪ so much to do, so much to see ♪ ♪ won't you ride along with me? ♪ - ♪ ride along - ♪ i've got lots of friends for you to meet ♪ ♪ in this land of make-believe ♪ a friendly face on every street ♪ just waiting to greet you ♪ it's a beautiful day in the neighbourhood ♪ ♪ a beautiful day for a neighbour ♪ ♪ in daniel tiger's neighborhood! ♪ - hi neighbour! come on in!

today i'm going to visit my new school. do you go to school? i'm going to see what my new school will be like. will you come with me? i'm feeling a little nervous. - ugga mugga, daniel tiger. are you ready to go see your new school? - yes. i mean... no. - no? hmm. you know what i always say: - ♪ when we do something new ♪ let's talk about what we'll do ♪ - ♪ when we do something new like go to school! - ♪ let's talk about what we'll do ♪ so, let's talk. hmm. will we play with... hmm. blocks? - oh, yes. lots of blocks at school. - hmm! but i'll bring my red block... just in case.

(mom chuckles.) - just in case. what else? - mmm... will we read books at school? - oh, yes! your teacher will read all sorts of books. - but maybe i should bring my favourite tigey the adventure tiger book... just in case. - huh! good idea! - mmm... and my tigey, 'cause he'd be lonely here without me. there you go, tigey! (mom chuckles.) oh, and my drum. (daniel chuckles.) ba-dum-boom! ready! - goodness, i hope your backpack isn't too heavy. - don't worry. i'm big and strong! grr! (grunting) (trolley dings.) hello, trolley! (grunting) whew! heavy. (mom grunting.) - that is heavy.